HTTP Methods Reference
A reference for the nine HTTP request methods defined by RFC 9110. For each method see whether it is safe, idempotent and cacheable, whether it carries a request or response body, and a plain description of its purpose.
How to read the HTTP methods table
- Find your method or search by keyword.
- Check the safe, idempotent and cacheable flags for that method.
- Use the description to confirm the intended use.
Examples
Is GET safe?
GET
Safe, idempotent and cacheable
Does POST carry a body?
POST
Has a request body; not safe, idempotent or cacheable
Frequently asked questions
What does idempotent mean for an HTTP method?
An idempotent method produces the same server state whether you send the request once or many times. GET, PUT and DELETE are idempotent; POST and PATCH are not.
What is a safe HTTP method?
A safe method is read-only and does not change server state. GET, HEAD, OPTIONS and TRACE are safe. Every safe method is also idempotent.
Which HTTP methods are cacheable?
Responses to GET and HEAD are cacheable by default. POST responses can be cached only with explicit freshness information, which is rare.
What is the difference between PUT and PATCH?
PUT replaces the entire resource and is idempotent. PATCH applies a partial update and is generally not idempotent, since repeating it can compound changes.
What is the CONNECT method used for?
CONNECT asks a proxy to open a tunnel to the destination server, most commonly to carry HTTPS traffic through a forward proxy.
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